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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cold — an illness
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stand — to bear
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. race — a contest
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — a price
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com